A Magical Tale
by choc-doc-yukiko
Summary: It is said that everyone has their own destined partner, that you will be able to tell it deep down inside your heart… She was of peasantry background, he was of royal blood. Never supposed to meet, but as fate would have it, their paths crossed…TamaXHaru
1. Chapter 1

It is said that everyone has their own destined partner, and that for the first time upon meeting, you will know it deep down inside your heart… She was of peasantry background, he was of royal blood. Never supposed to meet, but as fate would have had it, their paths crossed, heading the start of a beautiful relationship… TamaXHaru

**Chapter 1: A Magical Meeting and the Princely Dilemma**

**At Heirne village school:**

"Ok everyone! Class dismissed!" Haruhi packed up and started on her way back home from the small village school. It was not far at all, the way back to her house, so Haruhi took her time and slowly strolled along the muddy track running through the forest, leading to her house, soaking in the sights and sounds of the small critters around her.

Her schoolbag, a medium-sized knapsack made out of hemp, was rather empty and light today, as the teacher had been concentrating on hands-on experiments lately, rather than just studying books. All was peaceful and quiet while she was imagining what her teacher would do tomorrow, when she suddenly heard a sigh from a bush by the side of the road.

She was shocked, and could not imagine why there would be a sigh coming from the bush. She was even half-guessing that she heard wrongly. "Sigh." There it went again! She immediately pushed aside the topmost layer of leaves, and to her surprise, an old lady was sitting there! She had never seen this old lady around the village before, so she guessed that she must have been traveling or from a neighbouring village.

She soon got over her shock, and realized that the old lady was bleeding at the left leg.

"Uh… That looks quite bad… Would you like me to help you with that?"

"Thank you! You're such a kind girl! Girls like these sure are hard to find nowadays!"

With that, Haruhi poured water onto the old lady's wound after removing the cloth. She then plucked herbs, crushed them, and put them on the wound. Following that, she promptly proceeded to rip off some cloth from the edge of her skirt, and used it to bandage up the old lady's leg.

After doing so, Haruhi asked the lady, "Do you need help getting home?" The old lady just shook her head. "I'll be just fine on my own young lady, but here, take this. Just so I can show you my appreciation." The old lady opened her bag to reveal a gown, long and elegant, consisting of the finest threads of blue, and it shimmered, even in the dim light. "There is no way I can accept this!" exclaimed Haruhi, as the dress was shoved into her arms. "Oh yes you can my dear." The old lady's voice seemed to ring in her ears, and when she lifted her head, the old lady was gone.

**At the Lamphire castle:**

"Cheer up Tama, after all, your father only wants what is best for you…"

"And the country………. I know Ryun! But, if I've never been able to find a suitable bride for so long, how will I be able to find the perfect one for me at a ball?"

And there stood Tamaki's half brother and best friend, Ryunsuke, thinking up something to convince his brother that there was a chance he would find someone this time round.

Yuzuru Suoh only had two sons, Ryunsuke, 25, and Tamaki, 20. Strangely enough, Tamaki was the one inheriting the throne although he was younger. It was not that he was smarter or anything, in fact, it was the other way round, and Ryunsuke seemed perfect for the title of king. The Suoh family held a deep dark secret, and according to Yuzuru, Ryunsuke was a "bastard child", who was lucky enough to be even taken in by him.

"Tche! It should have been you who was made crown prince instead of me. You are so much better suited to the job than I am and…"

"Now, you know just why he chose you Tama…"

"…and I would not have to find a bride so soon…"

"Come on Tama, it might be fun! Everyone in the land will be invited, even the peasants, you're sure to be able to find a suitable bride!"

Sigh "I guess I'll just try my best then…"

"But remember, as father warned; pick a girl who seems to be rich. He sure doesn't want you to end up marrying a peasant."

"I know. He just wants to fake impartiality again."

**Next Chapter: A Magical Moment**

Tamaki and Haruhi finally meet at the ball. Will true love reign? Or will they be destined to be a pair of star-crossed lovers?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Magical Moment**

**At Haruhi's home (in the forest...O.o…):**

By the time Haruhi made it home, it was already evening, and she was glad she didn't need to cook, for she still had leftovers from the day before, and it just needed a little reheating. But hungry as she was, she did not start getting her dinner straightaway. No, instead, she pulled the dress that she had received from the old lady out of her bag, and spread it out on her bed, staring in awe as it shimmered even in the dim candlelight.

She took this opportunity to study it carefully, eyeing the little sequins carefully attached by equally shiny threads of blue. She ran her hands along the cloth, and realized it was as smooth as silk, yet as soft as cotton, hardly anything a peasant could afford. However, she was soon interrupted from the inspection of the new addition to her wardrobe by a loud voice calling from her front door, "Haruhi! Haruhi! "

Haruhi then popped her head out, half-expecting who it was, and just as she had guessed, it was her good friend and postman, Kanzaki.

Now, you might think it is weird that the postman would come to your house only in the evening. But in Heirne village, there was only two postmen serving the villagers, so it came as no surprise to Haruhi, especially since her house was all the way in the forest.

"Haruhi! You have three letters today! And also, how was your day today?" Kanzaki said with a wide grin plastered over his face.

Haruhi decided that it would be rather complicated to tell him the story of how she met an old lady today, and helped her, just to have her disappear without a trace after rewarding her, so she started telling him about school and her teacher's hands-on experiments, all in all, quite boring topics. Their conversation was soon over, and Kanzaki went on his way, leaving the three letters in Haruhi's hands.

She sat down at her table, wondering why she had so many letters that day, as she usually only had one, the one that held her month's supply of school meal tickets. That envelope she removed, promptly putting it in her school bag, before picking up the next letter. She eagerly opened it, hoping it was something good, but to her dismay, it only contained a flyer, advertising the Homebread Bakery's Big Sale.

Expecting the last letter to be the same, she opened the envelope and started reading its contents:

Fujioka Haruhi,

You are cordially invited to attend the grand ball at the Lamphire Castle on the 11th of July, from 7pm to 12pm. If you decide to attend, you shall receive free of charge the following:

-A mask (For the masquerade).

-A pair of high-heeled shoes (Should you not have one).

-A coupon for a 50 discount off all dresses tailored my Ms. Lucy (For people who haven't got a suitable dress. Ready-made dresses sold on the spot as well).

-All you can eat from the spread of food that will be available that day.

-A sack of rice.

"All I can eat, and a sack of rice?!" Haruhi whispered under her breathe. "I'm going! But the 11th of July…That's tomorrow!"

**The next day, at the Lamphire Castle:**

"How about this one Tama?"

"Ryun… I told you many times… I don't really care what I wear for the ball…"

"Aww… Come on Tama, it's your big day today!"

It was already 6pm, and currently, Ryunsuke was having a tough time trying to persuade Tamaki to actually put some thought into choosing his clothes before the ball started, and not just throw on a suit randomly.

"Fine! Fine! I'll pick this one!" Tamaki said as he randomly picked up a white suit with purple finishes, irritated by his brother's persistence in the matter.

"Great choice Tama! It goes perfectly with your eyes!" Ryunsuke said happily.

**Outside the grand hall of the Lamphire Castle:**

Adorning the sparkling blue gown, Haruhi made her way up the stairs to the front doors slowly, soaking in the splendor of the castle that she was about to enter. It was like what she had dreamed of when she was little, she felt like a princess, walking up the stairs to a grand castle. She had a feeling tonight would be special, a night she would never forget, and she was filled with excitement as she walked up to the footman, who gave her a bag full of the promised items. She looked inside… "Mask, shoes, coupon… Hey! Where's my rice?" The footman snorted, "Rice collection will be later madam, unless you'd prefer attending a ball lugging around a sack of rice?"

Haruhi didn't care for his snide remark, she felt something wonderful would happen tonight, and she wasn't about to let one rude footman spoil it for her. "Thank you for your help Mr. Footman, I wish you a good evening." And with that, she continued on her way, leaving a really puzzled footman. "Did she even understand what I said?" he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

**On a balcony in the grand hall (covered by curtains):**

"Tama! Why don't you go down and mingle about with the guests?"

"I just don't feel like it Ryun. The only people I've seen so far are either gossiping, being real show offs, or making use of their glib tongues to build relations with others! And not like anyone will be able to guess that I'm not there, the way our faces are all covered up. Anyway, there is not a single soul here that is…"

His voice trailed off. From the small gap between the curtains, he spied a young girl wearing a shimmering blue dress and a white glitter-rimmed mask. She was unlike all the others in as many ways as he could imagine. She was all alone, stationed beside the buffet table, her goodie bag by her side. It seemed as if her only purpose in being there was… to eat? "Beautiful…" he whispered under his breath, his brother only barely caught it. "What did you say Tama?" he asked, inquisitively. But he was a tad too slow, as he now only saw his brother's silhouette rushing down the stairs, towards the buffet table.

**At the buffet table:**

Haruhi was enjoying herself thoroughly at the buffet table. She had never even seen such a wide spread of food before, much less even tasted. _"Hmm… Maybe if I eat enough, I won't even need to eat breakfast tomorrow! Or maybe, if there are still leftovers after this, they'll let me bring them home!"_

Just as she stuffed another two meatballs into her mouth, she felt a light tap on her left shoulder. She turned around only see the chest of a man, wearing a fancy white suit with purple finishes, and as her eyes traveled upwards, her eyes met with his, and soon she found herself lost in those rich violet eyes.

Tamaki looked downwards as his eyes met her soft brown ones, and soon noticed her cheeks puffed out from the food, her face showing signs of shock. _"So cute…"_ He soon snapped out of his dreamy state, whipped out a handkerchief, wiped her mouth, offered out his arm, and asked "Would you honor me with this dance Miss?"

"Uh… S-sure!" Haruhi exclaimed, quickly swallowing her mouthful of food and hastily putting down her plate.

Tamaki gave a small laugh as he took her hand, leading her out onto the dance floor.

**Next Chapter: (No!!! I still haven't decided on the name!!! )** The rest of the ball… And also something interesting happens! Lolz, the excitement of it being a masquerade ball!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Impossibility Revealed**

**On the dance floor:**

Haruhi's heart was beating so hard in her chest she thought it might burst. She felt like it was a mad bull trying to escape, and as she was being twirled around the dance floor by the mysterious man, she found she could not tear her eyes away from his face.

She had never experienced such feelings before in her life! She could feel there was some sort of bond that was attracting her to him. No, it wasn't the same as the bond she had shared with her parents, when they were still alive. Neither was it anything like the one between her and her village friends. She couldn't understand how, but somehow, it was just… different.

Haruhi was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Tamaki speak, but she was staring so intently at his face, she saw his lips move. "Huh? What?" Haruhi responded with a questioning look all over her face.

Tamaki gave a small laugh, _"Why are your reactions just so cute?"_

"I asked what your name was princess."

"H-huh? Oh. Me?" Haruhi asked, blushing slightly, feeling shy as she had never been called a princess before, yet also because she was a little embarrassed that she had not heard the question the first time round.

"Yes. You."

"Oh, umm… Haruhi. Fujioka Haruhi…"

"That's a beautiful name…"

That caused Haruhi to turn a darker shade of red.

"Then, w-what's your name?"

"That shall be made known to you later my princess… For now, would you like to escape with me to a less crowded place?" Tamaki said, not wanting her to find out just yet who he was.

"O-ok…" And with that reply, he led her out of the doors, and to the back gardens.

**At the back gardens:**

"This, is a place I often visit to cool off and relax… It's sort of like a secret place, because not many people know about it." Tamaki said, grinning.

"It's beautiful!" Haruhi exclaimed, eyes open wide, taking in the amazing view that met them. "Does this mean you work in the castle?" Haruhi asked as the thought hit her.

"I guess you could say that." Tamaki said, knowing that she would never expect him to be the crown prince. "Well, so tell me, why did you attend the ball? It sure didn't look like you knew anybody else."

"Umm, well, actually, I was just here for the free food." Haruhi said, lowering her head at the same time, feeling bad that she had only come for freebies.

"Ahahaha! You're funny! It's hard to find someone… so frank nowadays…" Tamaki said, before giving a loud sigh.

"Yeah… I know…"

And before you the two of them knew it, they were lost in deep conversation. They talked about some nasty experiences with other people, things they liked, and hated, and also spoke of interesting and embarrassing moments in their lives, and of course, they touched on Haruhi's favorite topic, food.

The clock bell struck ten times. "Wow, it's only 10pm… Hey! How bout I bring you somewhere else?" Tamaki said, eagerness bringing sparkles into his violet eyes.

"Alright!"

Tamaki then led her to a rather large wooden shed. The strong smell of hay hit her nose, and she realized it was the stables. Tamaki walked up to the first stall, and led out a sleek-coated white stallion, saddle and all.

"Have you ever ridden on a horse before?" Haruhi shook her head violently, a definite no.

"It's alright then, I'll ride with you."

Haruhi drew in a deep breath as she was lifted up onto the saddle. Tamaki soon followed, climbing on behind her. On Tamaki's command, the horse went into a slow canter, trotting onto a narrow winding path, leading deep into a forest.

Haruhi turned her head around to look at him. "Is it alright for us to just take a horse from the stables like that? I mean, what if someone…" Haruhi was silenced by Tamaki's finger, pressed onto her lips. "Shh… It'll be just fine. Let's just enjoy the moment together ok?" Tamaki said, a small smile gracing his face underneath the half mask. Seeing the soft, gentle look on his face, she just smiled, nodded, and faced her head back to the front.

Haruhi soon became more conscious of the position she was in. She had never been so close to another male in her entire life, except for her father, and her heart beat picked up its pace, and before she realized it, her heart was pounding all over again. The same strange feeling that she had before came washing over her all over again, and before long, she felt her face turn red as well.

When they reached a fork in the road, Tamaki asked, "Are you prepared to have some real fun Haruhi?" "Huh?" the reply came, but Tamaki had already made the grand stallion face the path on the right.

It was a rather straight long path, leading further than the eye could see. And before Haruhi could make sense of the situation, upon hearing the command, "Go Gin!" the stallion started tearing its way down the path.

The cool wind was rushing on to her face, running through her hair. It was not an unpleasant feeling, rather fun actually, and the cold did not get to her, as there was strangely soothing warmth radiating off his body, keeping her warm and cozy, even in the chilly wind.

**At the end of the road:**

"Wow! That was really fun! But to tell you the truth, I was actually a little nervous at first… Your horse was going so fast! But I must say, he must really respect you… He listens to your every command! And you don't even ever need to repeat it more than once!"

With a wide grin plastered over his face, Tamaki said, "That's just because I've raised him since he was just a small colt!"

"Wow! You get to raise your own horse when you work in the castle?"

"Y-yeah."

"That's so sweet… Gin was it? Silver… fits you perfectly!" Haruhi said softly, stroking the stallion's white head while admiring his shiny white coat.

Tamaki looked lovingly at the scene that was taking place before him. _"I'll bet she'll make the perfect mother…"_ Taking out a gold pocket watch, he saw it was already 11.30pm.

"I think we had better be going. It's getting rather late already, and the ball is almost over."

"Oh ya! And my goodie bag and sack of rice is still there!" Haruhi exclaimed worriedly.

"Don't worry." Chuckled Tamaki, "I'm sure on one will steal your goodie bag, and there'll probably still be leftover sacks of rice that you'll be welcomed to bring home."

**Back at the stables:**

"I didn't know that the path was a loop that led back to the castle! And I thought we were not going to be able to make it back on time for the closing of the ball!" Haruhi said, giggling at her unfounded worries.

"_Oh man… I think I'm in love… No! I know I'm in love… No one has ever been able to make me feel like this before… Thank you father and mother, for giving birth to me, giving me the opportunity to experience this day! Thank you Ryun! For coaxing me to go to the ball, and for helping me choose a suitable outfit!"_ And after he got over his inner sentimentality, he promptly took Haruhi by the hand, and led her back into the ballroom.

**Back in the ballroom:**

They returned just in time to see Suoh Yuzuru standing on the balcony, mask off, holding a glass of wine in his hand, ready to make an announcement.

"I hope all of you have enjoyed tonight's ball, however, it will be drawing to a close soon. First, I would like everyone here to close their eyes… And no peeking!" Everyone in the hall followed as instructed. A knot tightened in Tamaki's stomach. He was already predicting what was going to come next. "_No! What if Haruhi hates me after she finds out that I'm actually the crown prince! She might hate me, because I did lie to her in a way… No! I don't want to part with her so soon! Please no… Don't let it happen… Please…"_

"Next, I would like all of you to remove your masks, without opening your eyes yet! And yes, you will soon be able to see the faces of the people you have spent the night with! Isn't that fun? HAHAHA! Hurry! Hurry! Then we will be able to move along faster!" Everyone did as they were told. _"No… No… Please no father!"_

"And before you all can open your eyes, I would like to invite my son, Tamaki, to come to the top of the stairs to point out the wonderful lady that he has chosen to be his bride!" Yuzuru's voice echoed through the hall as he made his way down to the top of the stairs.

Tamaki felt his stomach do a flop. He reluctantly opened his eyes and slowly made his way to the top of the stairs. His heart was so heavy; it felt as if it would drop out of his chest any moment now.

"Ok! You all can open your eyes now!" And Tamaki's stomach promptly proceeded to do a double flip.

Haruhi immediately turned to her right, where Tamaki had been standing a minute ago. _"Where'd he disappear to?"_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice, "Tamaki! Come! Tell us who you have chosen to be your bride!"

"I…" Tamaki could not say it. He knew… From the way she treasured food, to the way she had never rode a horse before… He knew she was a peasant, and one to which his father would never agree to him marrying.

Haruhi recognized that voice. She whipped up her head immediately, dreading what she would see next, and as cruel as fate can be, she saw a young man, dressed in the very same suit as the mysterious man she had spent the night with, with the very same mop of blonde hair, and those very same expressive pair of violet eyes.

"No… It can't be…" She whispered under her breathe. She knew they could never be, as much as she wanted to deny it. He was the crown prince; he held the second highest position in the land, while she was just a peasant, holding one of the lowest positions in the country.

Tamaki watched. Her face full of shock and disbelief. He noticed a wave of sadness overcome her features as she turned around and started running out of the door, even forgetting her goodie bag and rice.

"Wait! Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted as he started running down the stairs, chasing after her.

Yuzuru's face, and the faces of many others, was full of surprise. However, he soon signaled for his butler to come. "Find out who that girl was!" he whispered, excited that Tamaki had finally found a love interest, yet hoping that it was a girl from a rich family.

**Next chapter: What'll happen next? Will Haruhi be able to accept Tamaki? The even bigger question: Will Yuzuru be able to accept Haruhi? Find out in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Resolution Between Two Lovers(?)**

**On the path leading to Haruhi's house (yep, the one in the forest, where she met the old lady. And yes, it's not that far away from the castle********):**

"Wait! Haruhi! I can explain!" Tamaki shouted breathlessly, as her started to catch up with her. Haruhi continued sprinting down the path, with home as her only goal in mind. "I told you wait already!" Tamaki said, finally managing to grab hold of her right wrist.

"Let me go! I don't want to hear any explanation whatsoever!" Haruhi declared at the top of her lungs, before trying to fight for the freedom of her hand. When she gave up struggling, she just turned her head away from him, still remaining captive. Tamaki then quickly put his hands on her shoulders, allowing her no time to escape, forcing her to face him.

"Haruhi, I know this may sound really ridiculous, as we've only just met, and you also probably feel as if I've just betrayed your trust, but, please believe me, I've really fallen in love with you. It's not a feeling that I can easily describe, but my heart races when I am near you, my heart skips a beat when I feel you might be hurt, and I have this strong feeling, like I just want to be able to protect you for ever and ever. Oh man, I know this sounds really stupid, but I have this gut feeling that I needed to tell you all of this, or I might just live to regret it. But, the reason I lied to you about my identity… It was because I had felt a strange attraction to you, and… I didn't want my being a crown prince to scare you away, or change the way you treated me. I wanted you to see me as just another man, and not as some stuck-up, snooty person of royalty!"

All this time, Tamaki had been staring straight at Haruhi's downcast eyes. Waiting for some sort of reaction, watching, as finally, he saw it, a tear trickled down Haruhi's smooth cheek. Tamaki, with no hesitation, took Haruhi into his arms with one sweeping embrace.

"Haruhi, I don't need to hear anything else, but please… please just speak those words I long to hear…" In his head, Tamaki prayed and prayed. He prayed to anything he could think of. He prayed to Norse gods, he prayed to Jesus, he prayed to Buddha, he prayed to totems, he prayed to the sun, the moon, the earth, and all spirits and life forms on earth. Then, miraculously, as though she read his mind, his prayers were answered.

"I… I… actually I… think I love you too…" Haruhi said, almost in a whisper. But, to Tamaki, her words were not soft at all, and they rang clear in his ears, spreading a strange warm feeling around his body, that soon found its way to his heart.

Tamaki wrapped his arms tighter around her body, never wanting to let go, and she responded by hugging him back. Tamaki had never felt such euphoria before in his entire life, and he wanted this moment right here, right now, to never end.

"But will your family be able to accept me? I mean… after all I'm just a peasant…" Haruhi's worry interrupted the moment. Not hesitating at all, Tamaki answered, determination burning in his eyes, "No, I will make them accept you… No matter what it takes…"

**Next Chapter: What is going on Yuzuru's side…O.o…**


End file.
